Columbus, OH — Heart Of Chewbacca captured the first of two $50,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for 2-year-old pacing colts on Saturday night (Aug. 8) at Scioto Downs.

Heart Of Chewbacca was a 1:51.1 winner. Conrad photo.

The Ron Burke trainee took the lead from the start for driver Dan Noble and never looked back, flying through fractions of :26.3, :55.1 and 1:23.1 before unleashing a :28 final kick to score his third lifetime triumph in a blistering 1:51.1 (equaling the track record and setting a national season’s mark for a 2-year-old pacing colt on a five-eighths-mile oval).

The colt by Bring On The Beach-Jt’s Chewbacca is owned by Dennis Owens and Norman Rae Racing and left the gate as the 1-9 favorite. Bred by Spring Haven Farm, Heart Of Chewbacca now has $64,375 in career earnings.

The gutsy I’m Sorry Man was second at 8-1 for Kayne Kauffman, while another Burke trainee, the 54-1 longshot Barnard Hanover, grabbed show honors with Chris Page driving.

Hardt At Work and driver-trainer Mike Micallef got the best of 4-5 favorite Charlie May (Noble) in the second OSS contest, clocked in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.2.

Charlie May had led nearly every step of the mile, but in the final strides Hardt At Work came up the inside to best his rival handily. Four-Star Flash, a 35-1 longshot, was third for Ronnie Wrenn Jr.

Owned by Brett Boyd Racing and Anthony Formosa, the son of Manhardt-River Bend Raider picked up career victory three in his fifth start. Bred by Gene L. Miller, Hardt At Work now has $65,050 in his bankroll. The gelding captured leg one of this series in 1:55.1 before finishing second in leg two to Charlie May.